Hairgel
by Naavaire
Summary: A series of oneshots of my favorite Tunnel Snake and my OC. I own nothing except Javel, "Jay", my version of the Lone Wanderer.


Jay was jolted awake by a sudden crash in the next room. Her wide, blue eyes stared at the ceiling as she tried to assess what was going on. _Someone's in the clinic._ She threw back her covers and crept silently to her desk, deliberating on whether or not she'd need her trusty baseball bat. When she heard another _thud_, she grabbed the wooden handle and gripped it hard. She stole out of the room silently and stalked in the shadows to see a dimly-lit figure shuffling through the medicine locker. The stranger cursed as he frantically searched for something.

She instantly recognized that voice. It was unmistakable.

"Butch?"

Pill bottles were tossed into the air and a loud yelp erupted from the figure.

_Yup, that's Butch,_ she thought. She popped out of the shadows and set the bat down on the floor. When she got closer to him, she saw the bloody gash that was cut across his forehead and the still-developing black eye.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked her, scooping up the bottles that had fell. He hastily put them back in the locker, but she noticed that he was putting them in the wrong places. She grabbed his arm and he stopped to look at her.

"Let me do that. You're putting them in the wrong places." She took what pills were left and situated them in order. After she fixed those, she went to work on placing the ones he had put away in the right category.

"You're not going to call your dad on me?" Butch asked tentatively.

"He's an extremely heavy sleeper. He wouldn't wake up if I put a radroach on his face," she said simply, putting the last bottle in place and turning to him. "But you're trying to distract me; you need medical attention."

"I don't need your damn help!" Butch stepped away when Jay attempted to grab his arm. "I just need some painkillers then I'll be fine!"

Quicker than he could blink, Jay snatched his arm and pushed him to the table. Her blue eyes flickered dangerously and she pinned him down so he had no means of escape.

"Are you going to listen to me?" she hissed.

Butch's eyes remained wide with shock and slowly, he nodded. Jay released her grip reluctantly and turned away to grab her needed supplies. She sifted around the medical cabinet and took out a couple rolls of bandages and sterile gauze. Using her hip, she closed the glass door then moved back to Butch, who was sitting quietly, watching her carefully. Jay set both items on the table then grabbed the towel hanging off the end of the side-table. There was an awkward pause as she held the towel to the wound on his forehead, their eyes meeting.

"Like what you see?" Butch smirked as he saw anger flash in her eyes.

"You're such an ass," Jay growled, pressing the towel harder into his wound only to be rewarded with another yelp. "I'm trying to help you, if you hadn't noticed."

"By making my wounds worse?" he cried, shooting her with his own fierce blue-eyed gaze. "Listen, if I wanted to be treated like this, I would've—"

He didn't need to finish. His jaw clenched and he glanced away from her, staring at the room's corner as if it was the most fascinating thing in the whole vault. Jay gently patted the gash on his forehead and carefully applied the gauze. She stood up from her crouch and turned his head so he would look at her.

"Hey, you're fine now, alright? Just focus on me so it won't hurt as much." She could feel his eyes on her as she wound the bandage around his head and secure it with a small metal clip. Hesitantly, she moved down to look at his black eye, their eyes meeting again. Their breath mingled between the few inches that separated their lips and she caught the slightest whiff of cigarette smoke and his aftershave. It smelled intoxicating and she was slowly falling into those eyes of his. She reeled in her mind quickly and turned away to grab an ice pack from the freezer, then handed it to him.

"That should do it," she said as he placed it over his swollen eye. "I could give you a couple painkillers to ease the pain, if you want."

"No, thanks." Butch slid off the table and looked at her seriously with his uncovered eye. "Um … thanks for the help … I guess."

Jay smiled her crooked smile. "No problem." She started to put away her supplies, but when she turned, she noticed him still standing there, looking at her. She blinked and offered politely, "You can crash here. I don't think my dad would mind."

Something sparked in his eyes—appreciation?—and he shrugged. "Sure, if you got the room."

She motioned for him to follow her and he did. He ended up following her into her room and was eased down onto her bed. Her covers were a mess—she had had a nightmare or something—but the rest of her room was neat and spotless. He glanced around in envy as he saw the several awards she had won for good grades and her skill as a doctor. Then he caught a look at the picture on her dresser. It was of a woman that looked almost exactly alike Jay at a man's—her dad's—side. He assumed it was her mother.

"That your mom?" he asked, barely paying attention to the fact that she was trying to take off his boots and settle him in her bed.

Jay looked over at the picture and sighed. "Yeah, that was my mom. Now, would you lie down already?"

Butch chuckled and helped her with his boots. When he lay down, she covered him with her bunched up covers and stood up. She was about to move away when on an impulse, he grabbed her wrist and held her fast. Jay turned to look at him with alarm painted across her face, but she visibly relaxed.

"Don't tell anyone about this, 'kay?" At least that's what he thought he said, because sleep was already trying to force him under. "They'd never let me live it down."

She smiled again. "Don't worry about it. I don't have a death wish."

When he didn't let go of her, she raised an eyebrow at him. He tried to form words, but they wouldn't come. Instead, with one last attempt, he yanked her down next to him and opened his arms so she would crawl by his side. She squeaked and this made him laugh a little.

"Stay," he pleaded quietly. His eyes were drooping and she knew it wouldn't be long for him to pass out anyway. She sighed and tucked herself by his side, her back to him.

"If you say I slept with you, I'm going to break your neck, got that?" she grumbled.

All she got as an answer was a loud snore.


End file.
